Sometimes customers demand the newest trends and fresh looks for their homes. When a basic smooth-finish floor isn’t enough to satisfy your most demanding clients, turn to brush sanding. A brush sander can quickly add a variety of texture levels to hardwood, as well other materials. It’s a market trend that’s quickly gaining momentum, and for good reason. It creates a beautiful effect that can easily be varied by the craftsman applying it.
By feeding multiple boards at once, a large brush sander can process material quickly. Beyond the sheer speed and production levels you can achieve, the resulting finish is very consistent. Although you could achieve a similar distressed look with hand tools, the end product would lack consistency. Whether lightly brushed for a subtle distressed look, or heavily brushed for that wow factor to make a clients’ jaw drop, mechanical brush sanding provides a quick, reliable means to accomplish the work.
You’ll be surprised how easy it is to change the wire brushing effect by simply altering the machine parameters. Change the brush head RPM, amount of brush contact with the workpiece, and pass-through rate for varying levels of texture. The wire brush heads on Supermax by Laguna are made in the U.S.A. and have a proven track record of high performance and longevity. In fact, the heads are tested under the most demanding circumstances, to make sure they perform when it counts the most… when you’re producing some of the most distinctive home interiors anywhere.
When producing, refining, and installing hardwood floors, we often talk about ‘value-added’ in each step of the process. Texturing by brushing is one of the highest value-added steps in the hardwood flooring industry. Properly done, texturing can add $2-4 per square foot to the finished product. And the stunning results speak for themselves. While a textured wood surface looks like a laborious hand-hewn effect, it’s actually an easy machined process.
What about the training process? Training employees to reliably operate a brush sander is a simple process. These brush sanders are so easy to operate, even your newest greenhorn will be running the brush sander with confidence. Imagine your production speed, sending multiple boards through the brush sander for a ‘refined rustic’ effect that won’t go unnoticed.
As buyers purchase smaller homes, they want premium finishes to really feel good about their investment. Granite countertops, premium cabinets, and only the best finishes and hardware will do. Part of satisfying this new class of customer is providing a variety of finishes to cater to their needs. But you don’t have the time to wire brush miles of hardwoods by hand, or with a system that’s been cobbled together. Or worse yet, attempt a hand distressed finish, only to realize that it looks like a child hammered on your new hardwood floor. Do customers think they want rustic finishes? Yes, they think they do. But what customers really find most appealing is a generally rustic finish applied in a consistent way. This way, they notice the beauty of the entire room, not just one or two distressed parts of the hardwood floor.
What else can a brush sander process? In addition to the most common application of texturing hardwood, brush sanders also create amazing deep textured effects on softwoods like cedar. Ever wanted to apply a brushed finish to copper or aluminum sheet stock? A brush sander not only makes it possible, but downright simple. Imagine the decorative affects you could achieve with the right tool. The only limit will be your imagination.
Don’t just go with the status quo. Go a level beyond with the added versatility and texture of a brush sander from Supermax by Laguna. It’s a name already trusted and synonymous with quality drum sanders. Open a new world of possibilities of rich texture and character with a brush sander.
This article was provided by Laguna Tools. For more information, visit lagunatools.com or call 800.234.1976.